Martial Saint!
Chapter 426 - 0278 Great Sound is Inaudible, great shapes are invisible, monk Ling Kong, takes the first step. (4k)

Chapter 426: 0278 Great Sound is Inaudible, great shapes are invisible, monk Ling Kong, takes the first step. (4k)

November 1.

Wutai Mountain.

Under the World Venerate, there are four Great Bodhisattvas.

Among them, representing wisdom, Manjusri Bodhisattva, whose domain is right before us at Wutai Mountain, while the other three domains are at Mount Putuo, Jiuhua Mountain, and Emei Mountain.

The Buddhist Five Schools consist of these four major domains, plus Songshan Shaolin.

Wutai Mountain, the Human World Buddha Country.

It not only gave birth to Wutai University but also served as the cradle for Dragon City Martial Arts University.

For this place was the origin of Master Ling Kong!

...

Ta Yuan Temple.

Among the lofty mountains, a white tower of several dozen meters stands.

Compared to the bustling and noisy Shaolin Temple.

Wutai Mountain is quiet and cold.

Aside from the sparse travelers, there is not a single Martial Artist.

The winters of the north bring endless cascades of falling leaves.

Beneath the tower, an old monk is sweeping the fallen leaves.

Lu Chenzhou stands quietly under the tower, appreciating the ancient charm.

Judging by the monk’s demeanor, he seems to be an ordinary man, not a martial artist.

"Are you Lu Daxia, the chief of Dragon City?"

"I don’t deserve such an honor. Just call me Lu Chenzhou."

During this period, due to his acts of chivalry, Lu Chenzhou had earned himself a reputation among the common people, which embarrassed him. His modest cultivation was not worthy of such a title in an era filled with formidable figures—a title that in ancient times belonged to great leaders who saved the nation and the people.

The old monk chuckled:

"What’s to deny? Great or small heroes, all are heroes, able to punish the evil before them and perform good deeds within their capabilities... that’s what makes one a great hero..."

"Though a Martial Arts Grandmaster’s cultivation is high, if they disregard us ordinary people, they are not as respected as a Martial Artist like you."

Lu Chenzhou nodded slightly, agreeing.

Heaven knows, his acts of chivalry were also a way to earn some money.

But as the saying goes, judge a man by his actions, not his thoughts. As long as the outcome is good.

He asked,

"Old master, is this the place where Master Ling Kong had once practiced?"

The old monk nodded, continuing to sweep the ground as he leisurely said:

"Centuries ago, Master Ling Kong also swept floors here. His original name was Li Daxiang, which he thought sounded terrible, so he changed it to... Li Lingkong.

The Li family were prominent traders from Jin. From a young age, he was well-versed in the classics of the Three Religions. Disliking politics and business, and after an arranged marriage fixed his fate, he bade farewell to his wife on their wedding night, fleeing from home to hide his identity on Wutai Mountain, seeking a master to learn the arts.

However, Master Ling Kong had only low-class root bone and limited talent, eventually assigned to the Chores Courtyard by the recruiting master, unable to become a Martial Monk or practice any Fist Techniques.

He swept this spot daily, frustrated with his lot."

Lu Chenzhou sighed,

"Root bone, it’s always the root bone..."

Two words that have foiled many heroes.

Back then, the talent selection system wasn’t perfected, resources were scarce, and feudal remnants were strong, making it extremely difficult for those with low-class root bones to change their fate.

In this era, even ordinary people without root bone can live without worries about food and clothing.

Back then, natural and man-made disasters occurred frequently, and turmoil was rampant.

Not to mention, demon ghosts lurked in the shadows, choosing their victims.

How could the lives of ordinary people be good?

The old monk exclaimed,

"Root bone is innate, dividing people into different classes from birth,

Martial Arts is still cruel."

As his horizons widened,

Lu Chenzhou knew that root bone could be altered.

But heavenly materials and earthly treasures, how rare are they?

This path of changing one’s fate against the heavens is destined only for those with great luck. As for awakening the Martial Bone Dao Embryo or having sudden enlightenment? Those are as likely as winning the lottery, hard to make popular.

If Martial Arts were not limited by root bones, or if the restrictions were a little looser, human civilization would surely unearth many frustrated and buried talents.

That truly would be a world where everyone is like a dragon!

Unfortunately, from ancient times to today, no one has been able to change this iron law.

The old monk said,

"During the time Master Ling Kong swept floors, he wasn’t idle. As soon as he finished his chores, he would watch the Martial Monks practice their boxing and stealthily learn from them. He was indignant.

Why couldn’t someone with a low-class root bone practice boxing?

At that time, among all boxing lineages, Tai Chi was revered, giving rise to numerous experts and a multitude of Grandmasters, Eight Extremes and Eight Trigrams were also not inferior. Within the Buddhist tradition, the main techniques were Arhat, Vajra, and Bodhisattva styles, supplemented by Zen Sect methods for cultivating the mind. This was the orthodox way.

Elephant Form Fist existed since ancient times but was mostly scattered among the common folk or some minor, unremarkable forces, then Shaolin Temple as well, which had many Elephant Form Fist Boxers but low quality and very few Grandmasters, with never a Great Grandmaster.

Master Ling Kong started with Phantom Boxing since his talents were poor and he practiced a mix of styles from various schools. Despite not entering the Innate Realm by the age of forty."

Lu Chenzhou laughed,

"Master Ling Kong is a classic example of a late bloomer."

The old monk sighed,

"It was also because he was a late bloomer that Master Ling Kong’s subsequent rise was as brief as a comet. He almost broke through the Sixth Shackles, ending a thousand years of history set by Zhang Zu with a single comment, but alas he was taken by a heavenly calamity, dying with regrets. Such a pity, such a pity."

Lu Chenzhou also knew these histories.

But he quietly listened, allowing the old monk to explain.

He felt that the old monk really needed to share this with someone.

Years of sweeping were too monotonous and too lonely.

The old monk said,

"In his unconfused years, Master Ling Kong left Wutai Mountain, deeply feeling his own dull talents and genuinely lacking the aptitude for martial arts, decided to do something unprecedented, he resolved to visit the Three Religions, travel across Da Xia, collecting and compiling the scattered Elephant Form Fist Techniques from among the common folk, making his brief life worthwhile.

Following the path of Heavenly Way Daoist Xu Xia hidden, he began a twenty-year journey around the human world, calling himself ’Great Elephant Foolish Monk.’ Eventually, in his sixties, he finally compiled the ’Wanxiang Book,’ which could change the history of Martial Arts. Upon its completion, he had a moment of enlightenment and entered the Innate Realm for the first time in his old age."